Richard Carapaz has made a late withdrawal from the UCI Road World Championships, the Ecuadorian announced today.
The 33-year-old had been set to compete in next Sunday's elite men's road race, and with a chance of success given his status as a former Olympic champion.
However, he announced on Saturday that he will not be taking part after all, citing unspecified health reasons.
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"Through this message I want to inform you that, due to health complications, I will not be able to form part of the Ecuadorian delegation that will participate in the upcoming World Championships. This decision has already been communicated to the [Ecuadorian] Federation," Carapaz wrote in a public statement.
"As a high-performance athlete my desire has always been to give the best of myself and represent the colours of Ecuador with pride. However, after an in-depth test and following medical advice, and in a joint decision with my performance team, it has been determined that the most responsible thing is to prioritise my health and focus on a quick recovery to avoid any further risk to my career.
"I will continue my treatment in order to return to training as soon as possible," he added.
It has not been confirmed if Ecuador will replace Carapaz in their Worlds road race line-up, but Jhonatan Narvaez will now be the sole leader for the South American nation next Sunday.
Carapaz has had a busy season, but a successful one, with two stage wins at the Tour de France, fourth overall at the Vuelta a España, and second overall at the Tour de Suisse.
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